Residents concerned at the lack of community beat officers in the North Swindon area will question senior police officers at a meeting tomorrow.

Rodbourne Cheney Residents' Association has complained for months that the police presence on their streets is not as high enough.

They expressed their worries to North Swindon MP Michael Wills, who has arranged for tomorrow's public meeting to be staged at St Andrew's Church Hall.

The Advertiser revealed in August that the northern sector would be left with just four community beat officers from this month, which is three fewer than in May last year.

The shortage has arisen from the departure of PC Qahir Sheikh, who headed off to Bosnia for a year at the start of the month, PC Geoff Goundry, who was seconded to the Porton Down inquiry in June 1999, and another officer who retired earlier this year.

Pat Harden, secretary of the residents' association, said she had written to Mr Wills and Home Secretary Jack Straw about the problem.

"I feel like half of our town is more or less unpoliced by community officers and we desperately need something to change," she said.

"I realise community officers aren't the only way of combating crime, but having the presence on the streets has got to be the best way."

She said it was the frequent crimes like break-ins, car thefts, nuisance youths and petty crime that seemed to be on the rise.

Mr Wills sympathised with the residents and said there should not be a major problem with funding, because he has recently secured a grant of more than £800,000 for Wiltshire Police from the Home Office to compensate for the expense of the Porton Down inquiry.

"It is more an issue of how the police choose to organise themselves," he said. "If the residents feel there is a problem, then there is one, because they have to feel safe.

"The level of policing is an issue raised by a number of areas in my constituency and there is a prevalent feeling that officers are not visible enough."

Community Beat Team manager at Westlea Police Station, Inspector Bob Markham, admitted they were operating at less than 70 per cent strength.

But he said if you draw a line above the railway line, there are 10 community beat officers in the northern side of the town, and they are able to cover any areas which are understaffed.

"There are a number of vacancies in that area but on the back of a recent recruitment drive, there are more officers coming forward to be trained in Swindon," he said.

"It is my job to try to place the officers as best I can and some communities in the town will inevitably not get as much coverage as others."

n One or more of his team will attend the meeting, which begins at 7pm.